Chasing the ball

Part 1

A white ball with an argentinian flag slowly stopped, in the middle of the wet green grass of one of many amateur football fields in the Abasto Neighbourhood.
A heartbeat, drummed down.
The red lights of an ambulance flashed through the fog while a group of players, standing over the pitch, were surrounding someone lying in the ground. Suddenly a loud scream claimed a goal in a nearby field, and the heart, stopped.

2016. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nicolas thought for himself, once you get married you get into a bargain, perhaps this can be my secret.
Sir, said the doctor, your leg is broken and it needs surgery.
Nicolas took a deep breath and smiled.
Months before when Nicolas took his little son to a football school, for a reason he did not understand, as soon as he saw the field, he felt something in his chest. His heart, was racing and cold sweat came down his back.

2002. The country was starting over a moment of political crisis.
Before being a history teacher, Nicolas tried differents fields, studyin in the city of Buenos Aires. He was alone , and being shy did not help. The first eight months, he had no friends.
Luckily, he crossed paths with someone who would stay in his life, for years to come.
In the middle of a class, he yelled, ey bud, wanna play some football?
I'm trying to organize a weekly match.
I 'm not good at sports, Nicolas replied in shame.
The hole point is to have fun and have a beer later. It's nine o'clock. Wednesdays. Nicolas did not know what to respond. The hole thing was so spontaneous, he just nodded.

Days before the match Nicolas felt anxious. He bought his first football snickers and tried to watch the sport in the tele. On wednesday he waited at the field nervously. When he saw Peter the organizer, he felt relieved.
Hi there everyone, thank you for coming. I gathered all of you from different places.
I hope we have a good time.

In time Nicolas saw Peter's spirit as a virtue. And maintained that opinion for almost ten years, where Peter struggled with great effort to maintain the group. Which was made with very strange and unique individuals, who sometime bumped into each other. For years to come Nicolas perceived it.
Why is it so hard, to coexist, to live in harmony. Even in a friendly football match.
In time the dynamic of the group shaped Nicolas character. He grew up playing with them, amongst camaraderie and respectful manners, but always guided by Peter.

Before that, Nicholas had prejudice about football due to his mother's opinion: a lower class interest.
But Nicholas discovered that there was a bright thing about playing football, and for almost an hour he would be miles away from everything.
The hole world would be reduced into something infantile, chasing a ball.

During his first year Nicolas discovered another great thing: the world cup. Even the country where he had lived all his life, became something different. A strange way to unite. Four ninety minutes something greater could be lived. Being part of something. The first time Nicolas shouted a goal in front of a tv, he was surrounded by, the Wednesday football group. The dudes.